Portugal's Alentejo Region from the Sky

The landscape of the area around Alqueva in the Alentejo region of southeastern Portugal has been transformed by a massive hydro-engineering project called Alqueva Dam.  The dam provides electricity for the region and also helps to preserve (sometimes precious) water supplies for agriculture.  The reservoir created by the dam is essentially a giant artificial lake.  Contributor and pilot Flybyzion gives us a drone's eye view of the area, where centuries-old castles now sit on or near this massive body of water.

Alcácer do Sal is a small city in southwestern Portugal, in its Alentejo region.  It is situated on the Sado River, one of the main waterways in southern Portugal.  The area around Alcácer do Sal is believed to be amongst the longest-settled in the entire country (indeed, in all of Europe), with evidence of human settlement in the area going back tens of thousands of years.  The area has played a prominent role through the Antiquity and much of modern Portuguese history.  In this video, Flybyzion gives us an aerial view of this ancient city. 

In this video, contributor A.Buscka gives us a stunning drone's eye view of an area of the Atlantic coast of southern Portugal.  Lapa das Pombas lies on the coast of the Alentejo region, which covers most of southern Portugal north of the Algarve region.  In this video, shot with a DJI Mavic Pro drone, you'll see how spectacular the coast is in this part of the country, which lies just south of the Mira River.   The rock formations, cliffs, and other natural scenery make for some epic aerial viewing.  

Portugal's Cabo Sardão is a small peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean in its Alentejo region, near the region's southern border with the Algarve region.  The cape is accessible via a roughly 5 km (around 3 mi.) walking trek from Zambujeira do Mar, a seaside parish just to its south.  Seen in this drone video by A.Buscka, the area features some stunning cliffs and rock formations.  Alentejo is one of the five main regions of mainland Portugal, covering much of the southern part of the country north of the Algarve region.  

Check out this excellent drone video of a historical town in southern Portugal, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot martinhos.  The town is called Reguengos de Monsaraz, and it's located in the Évora District of the region of Alentejo.  With a population of about 10k permanent residents, it's one of the larger settlements in eastern Alentejo, one of Portugal's most thinly populated areas.  The video features excellent footage of the town's castle, as well as its Santo António Mother Church, which dates to the late 19th century.  

The Alentejo region of Portugal is one of its largest in land area but one of its least populous.  Its name translates to  "Beyond the Tagus", in reference to its position on the south bank of the country's most important waterway.  While Alentejo has a section of the Atlantic Ocean coast, most of the region's substantial land area lies in the interior.  In this drone video by pedrolftavares, you'll get some great aerial views of northern Alentejo, an area of  wide-open spaces, castles, lakes, and farmland.  

Check out these aerial views of the beaches of Portgual's Alentejo region, compliments of Joao Tiago Oliveira.  While most of the region is in the interior, the southwestern part of Alentejo lies along the Atlantic Ocean, between the Algarve region to its south and the Greater Lisbon region to its north.  The video features footage of the following beaches, in order of appearance: Praia da Franquia, Praia do Malhão, Praia da Zambujeira do Mar, Praia do Carvalhal, and Praia dos Buizinhos.

Eaglewood Films took to the skies along the coast of Portugal to capture its rugged and picturesque landscape in 4K. Once believed to be located on the very edge of the inhabited world, Portugal was one of the first areas of Europe to launch long distance ships, which it then used its to amass one of the world's greatest empires in the 15th and 16th centuries.  This aerial video of the coastline in the Alentejo and Algarve regions will show you why this country has become such a popular destination for tourists and drone pilots alike.  

Check this aerial video of a walled town in eastern Portugal, compliments of AirVuz contributor and drone pilot A.Buscka.  It's called Castelo de Vide, and it's near the country's eastern border with Spain, about 225 km (around 135 mi.) east and a bit north of Lisbon.  The town was fortified by virtue of its location along the border of what was then Castile, the region which subsequently became the core of modern Spain.  It's part of the Portalegre District in Alentejo, the region which covers a portion of southern Portugal.